WHO would have thought that a simple lost toy story in the Herts Advertiser would turn a stuffed pig named “Ratty” into a minor celebrity?

The power of the press came to the fore last week after an article about the soft toy accidentally left in The Maltings resulted in the speedy reunion of Ratty and his delighted three-year-old owner, Frankie.

Readers who recognised the photo of Ratty immediately phoned St Albans mum Chloe Fitzgerald, who had been devastated to discover her son’s toy had been left behind during a trip to town. She had frantically re-traced their steps, even searching under clothes racks.

Chloe, of Green Lane, said: “Ratty is Frankie’s special toy. I had half a dozen phone calls from people saying, ‘have you seen Ratty (in the paper)?’ and we are so thrilled.”

Frankie was reunited with his toy at the weekend, courtesy of kind-hearted Mariel McGovern who discovered Ratty and contacted the paper.

Chloe said Mariel was “ever so nice” to go to so much effort.

Ratty had since turned into a mini-celebrity, as Chloe said: “I did say Ratty is now grounded but he has been to school already where he is the local celebrity, because everyone knows the saga.”